Author: Garnik Tadevosian

Armenpress: Nikol Pashinyan, Bako Sahakyan hold joint session of Security Councils in Artsakh

Garnik Tadevosian

Nikol Pashinyan, Bako Sahakyan hold joint session of Security Councils in Artsakh

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 11:25,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan held a joint session of the Security Councils of the two Armenian republics in Stepanakert.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Artsakh President's Office, Bako Sahakyan focused on problems of foreign and domestic policy.

Bako Sahakyan emphasized that the projects they plan to implement are ambitious but realistic, expressing confidence that with joint efforts those projects will come into life.

Edited and traslated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Asbarez: ANCA Calls on Administration to Match Armenia and Azerbaijan Military Assistance

Garnik Tadevosian

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, seen here at a military base in Azerbaijan. The ANCA remains concerned that the proposed $100 million in U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan would add equipment, tactical abilities, and offensive capabilities to the Azerbaijani arsenal, while freeing up its own state resources for renewed cross-border action against Artsakh and Armenia

$100 Million in U.S. Military Aid to Azerbaijan Adds Capacity for Renewed Aggression against Artsakh and Armenia

WASHINGTON—The Trump Administration’s $100 million security and military aid package to Baku largely funds joint U.S.-Azerbaijani Iran-facing initiatives – while enabling new offensive capabilities and freeing up other military resources for the Aliyev regime’s ongoing aggression against Artsakh and Armenia – according to a review, this week, of detailed budget breakdowns provided by the Congressional Research Service.

The largest share of U.S. security assistance to Baku is the Administration’s allocation of $101.5 million in FY18 and FY19 for “Section 333 Building Partner Capacity” assistance for “Maritime Security for the Caspian Sea and Southern Border Security programs.” This section, of the National Defense Authorization Act, was established in FY17 to build the capacity of foreign national security forces, including for “maritime and border security operations” and “military intelligence operations.” Between FY04 and FY09, Azerbaijan received approximately $64 million in “Caspian Sea Maritime Proliferation Prevention Program (Cooperative Threat Reduction),” and roughly $10 million in FY11 “Section 1206 Global Train and Equip” assistance.

“We are troubled that the Trump Administration’s $100 million security aid package to Baku adds substantial new equipment, tactical abilities, and offensive capacities to the Azerbaijani arsenal, while freeing up its state resources for renewed cross-border action against Artsakh and Armenia,” said Armenian National Committee of America Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan. “American taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to provide a single dollar in military aid to an overtly and unapologetically aggressive Aliyev regime that – as recently as a week ago in Munich, Germany – renewed threats to attack Artsakh and publicly laid claim to Yerevan and all of Armenia as Azerbaijani territory. The Trump Administration should either stop sending military aid to Baku or start matching every dollar they send to Azerbaijan with another to Armenia.”

In testimony submitted to the House Appropriations Committee this week, the ANCA requested a provision in the foreign aid bill requiring that: “No funds appropriated or otherwise made available under this Act may be provided to the Government of Azerbaijan until the President determines, and so reports to the Congress, that the Government of Azerbaijan is taking demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

This testimony, submitted by Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan, supported this request by citing Azerbaijan’s obstruction of the Royce-Engel Peace Proposals, opposition to the U.S.-Artsakh Travel and Communication Resolution (H.Res.452), and continued cross-border attacks against Artsakh and Armenia.

Congress Has Maintained Armenia-Azerbaijan Aid Parity on FMF and IMET Military Assistance

Relatively smaller levels of Foreign Military Financing and International Military Education and Training – appropriated on the principle of parity with Armenia – have been provided to Azerbaijan since FY02 – the first year of the Section 907 presidential waiver. The Congress, in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, granted the White House the authority to waive the Section 907 restrictions, enacted in 1992 with the support of the ANCA, on U.S. aid to the Azerbaijan government, contingent upon the President determining that such aid “will not undermine or hamper ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan or be used for offensive purposes against Armenia.”

According to recent Congressional Budget Justifications, FMF assistance supports “Azerbaijan’s military professionalization and interoperability with NATO and coalition partners in multinational operations,” as well as “increased maritime domain awareness, with the goal of enhancing border security and protection of critical energy infrastructure.”

Additional U.S. security assistance has also been provided, at lower levels, for a range of other purposes, including nuclear and biological nonproliferation programs.

Congressional Alarm Bells on Increased Azerbaijan Military Aid Initially Raised in 2019

In September 2019, Congressional Armenian Caucus founding Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Co-Chair Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Vice-Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) expressed concerns to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper about the proposed dramatic increases in security assistance to Azerbaijan, noting that Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, adopted in 1992, places restrictions on aid to Azerbaijan due to its ongoing blockade and aggression against Armenia and Artsakh.

“While the State Department has the authority to extend a waiver of Section 907, we do not believe the waiver the State Department noticed on April 18, 2019 is an appropriate use of this authority considering Azerbaijan’s continued efforts to destabilize the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and given the ruling regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s documented culture of corruption and oppressive tactics against dissenters,” stated Representatives Pallone, Speier, and Schiff in their September 27th letter.

In response to State and Defense Department assertions that $102 million in security aid to Azerbaijan “will neither undermine efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, nor be used for offensive purposes against Armenia,” Representatives Pallone, Speier and Schiff were adamant:

“Without question, the increase of security assistance to Azerbaijan creates an imbalance in the region and ignores a 20-year precedent in U.S. foreign policy. We are concerned that rewarding Armenia’s autocratic neighbor with this windfall at such a time of historic change in Armenia sends negative signals about the importance we place on democratic values. Returning to parity in military assistance is the only way the U.S. will be able to retain its credibility as a regional power capable of bringing Azerbaijan and Armenia together.”

In their November 18th letter, the Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders requested that Armenia be provided with “training and equipment to build partner capacity that will help secure its borders and create military parity in funding with Azerbaijan. This funding would increase Armenia’s capacity for counterterrorism, counter-illicit drug trafficking, and weapons of mass destruction interdiction operations – especially on its southern border with Iran. We also ask for robust funding of confidence-building measures on each side of the border between Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia – including those that would implement the 2015 Royce-Engel Peace Proposal – to establish a clearer pathway to peace for all parties in this conflict.”

Consul General Pays Working Visit to Arizona

Garnik Tadevosian

ARIZONA—Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles Ambassador Armen Baibourtian paid a working visit to the State of Arizona, where he held meetings with state and city senior officials, as well as with Arizona’s Armenian-American community.

In Phoenix, Ambassador Baibourtian met with Arizona’s state House Speaker Russell “Rusty” Bowers. They discussed various ways of boosting relations between Armenia and Arizona and outlined areas of mutual interest. Special attention was paid to the mining industry in the State of Arizona, and in particular copper mining. At the request of Consul General Baibourtian, Speaker Bowers referred to the highest environmental standards that the local mining industry adheres to. Bowers expressed readiness to share the best practices in responsible mining applied in Arizona’s local mining industry, which are based on stringent environmental regulations. The interlocutors agreed that it would be useful to put Armenian government experts in touch with Arizona’s corresponding departments. Rev. Zacharia Saribekyan, the parish priest of Arizona’s St. Apkar, and Chairman of the Parish Council Rafi Hagopian also took part in the meeting.

Consul General Baibourtian’s next meeting was with Tony Rivero, Chairman of the Arizona House State and International Affairs Committee. The interlocutors discussed the steps for developing bilateral cooperation. Ambassador Baibourtian emphasized that, in the spectrum of activities of the Consulate General of Armenia, the task of developing relations with different Western U.S. states, in addition to California, is viewed as a priority. He presented mutual advantages of establishing relations with Armenia.

Ambassador Baibourtian also had a meeting with Mayor of Scottsdale W.J. “Jim” Lane. During their meeting, they exchanged views on efficient ways of establishing partnerships between cities, including “sister city” relations. Mayor Lane presented his city’s appropriate experience in developing effectual framework for constructive cooperation. The Consul General specifically mentioned the role of the Armenian community in advancing bilateral relations with the state of Arizona. He also emphasized that Armenia’s strategic geographical location could become a platform for mutually beneficial business interactions between business communities of Armenia and Arizona, especially in the fields of tourism and services, where Scottsdale gained an extensive experience. Rev. Zacharia Saribekyan and Dr. Stephen Ovanessoff also attended the meeting. The City of Scottsdale has over a quarter million residents. Each year, Scottsdale hosts 9 million visitors. That’s a bright example of utmost efficiency in local tourism governance. The New York Times described downtown Scottsdale as a “desert version of Miami’s South Beach.” Built in 2009, St. Apkar Armenian Church is located in Scottsdale.

During his visit to Arizona, Ambassador Baibourtian was also hosted at the Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies of the prestigious Arizona State University. The President of the Advisory Board of the Melikian Center, Ramona Lee Melikian, and her mother Emma Ordjanian Melikian welcomed the Armenian Consul General and, along with the administrative leadership of the Center, briefed him on its programs. The Center received its name in 2007, in recognition of the generous support of Commander Gregory Melikian and his spouse Emma Ordjanian Melikian.

Ambassador Baibourtian also visited the Armenian Genocide memorial at the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. The plaza is located directly across the Arizona State Capitol in Downtown Phoenix.

At St. Apkar Armenian Church, Ambassador Baibourtian met with the Armenian-American community of Arizona. The Consul General delivered an extensive speech, in which he highlighted the role of the Armenia community in establishing multifaceted bonds of cooperation between Arizona and Armenia. Ambassador Baibourtian presented to the community the profound changes taking place in the homeland, as a result of which Armenia has found itself in the positive focus of the international community. The Consul General also discussed the economic environment in Armenia, existing business opportunities, and prospective areas for conducting business in the homeland. He also answered a number of questions presented by the public. At the end of the program, Ambassador Baibourtian commended parish priest Rev. Zacharia Saribekyan for his dedication and outstanding service, after which he presented an official certificate of appreciation to the Reverend.

Arizona is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous (7.2 million) of the 50 U.S. states. The state’s major industries include healthcare, mining (copper, gold, and silver), tourism (40 million visitors annually), transportation, IT, and electronics. More than 12,000 Armenians live in the State of Arizona.

Syria’s Aleppo re-launches its airport after long shutdown

Garnik Tadevosian

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 09:33,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. After a long pause caused by the military operations in Syria, the airport of Aleppo is being re-launched. Today, on February 19, the first flight en route Damascus-Aleppo will be operated.

Ethnic Armenian MP of the Syrian Parliament Jirair Reisian told Armenpress that the society welcomed this news with a great enthusiasm.

“Due to the shutdown of the airport the life in Aleppo was difficult for various reasons. The airport is an important infrastructure both for the city and the state. The first flight will be operated in Damascus-Aleppo route, and there are also plans to increase the number of flights and routes in the future”, the lawmaker said.

The re-launch of the airport will contribute to accelerating Aleppo’s restoration process. Jirair Reisian said it’s a very important tool for boosting business. The re-launch of the airport will also have its affect on the economic activity.

Talking about the other infrastructural problems of the city the MP informed that significant works have been carried out over the water supply. Some districts are supplied with water the whole day, and the works in the remaining ones continue. The electricity issue is not completely solved yet, people are supplied with electricity for several hours a day, but all these issues are under the direct spotlight of the authorities. Everything is being done to provide people with electricity.

Activities are also planned for the restoration of structures of the Armenian community in Aleppo. Jirair Reisian said the issue of schools was a priority, no school-children has been left without classes at this period. Everything possible has been done for the operation of Armenian schools. Currently, all classes are normally being carried out, the children are actively participating in the educational processes. As for the churches, the lawmaker informed that during this period the Mother Church of Aleppo has been restored and now is operating normally. The issue of the St. George Church is on the agenda. It is located in the Armenian-populated Nor Gyugh district of Aleppo. The MP also informed that the St. Gregory the Illuminator Church is also located in this part and is operating normally.

As for the movements of Armenians, Jirair Reisian said many have returned to Aleppo, many visit to get acquainted with the local conditions and consider the options of returning back completely. “In any case we wish all sons of the community to return to their homes and restore their works”, he said.

During those days in line with the liberation of Aleppo another important event took place in Syria. The Parliament of Syria officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. “Syria officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. Here the key message is for us to fight jointly against and prevent the crimes”, he said, adding that today as well Syria is subject to the hostile acts of the same criminals.

On February 13 the Syrian Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide.

Interview by Anna Gziryan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




There are no fundamental disagreements between Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Armenia and Minister of Defense

Garnik Tadevosian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 18 2020

ArmInfo. There are no fundamental disagreements between Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Artak Davtyan and  Minister of Defense David  Tonoyan. This was announced on February 18 in an interview with  reporters by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of  Armenia Artak Davtyan.

Davtyan emphasized that the Chief of the General Staff is subordinate  to the Minister of Defense. "Often, some minor disagreements on the  job are presented as serious disagreements. However, I can assure  you, in case of serious disagreements, I would resign as a  subordinate," the head of the General Staff assured. He also noted  that in everyday matters the minister always listens to advice. "I,  as the Chief of the General Staff, present my approaches that may  affect the adoption of a decision. This is quite natural, since the  Minister of Defense is responsible for making these or those  decisions," Davtyan emphasized.

The Chief of the General Staff also touched on the situation  associated with elite military units. According to the latter, they  should not be in Armenia. "The army is working to prevent the  emergence of such military units. But at the moment I would not want  to disclose the details of these works," Davtyan summed up the line.   It should be noted that in recent days information has been  circulating in the media that relations between the Chief of the  General Staff and the Minister of Defense of Armenia have aggravated.  According to media reports, they appeared in connection with the  story of a tender for the supply of Russian weapons.

Sports: European Championships: Armenian wrestler Mihran Jaburyan advances to semifinals

Garnik Tadevosian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 15 2020
Sport 13:26 15/02/2020 Armenia

Armenian freestyle wrestler Mihran Jaburyan (57 kg) has made it to the semifinals of the 2020 European Championships underway in Rome, Italy.

The Armenian athlete beat his rival from Moldova 5-0 in the quarter finals to advance to the semifinals of the championship, the National Olympic Committee reported.

Jaburyan had started the struggle in the 1/8 finals, where he had defeated his Bulgarian opponent 6-4.

Turkish historian Taner Akcam’s books on Armenian Genocide available in Arabic

Garnik Tadevosian

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 16:48,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Turkish historian Taner Akcam’s books on the Armenian Genocide – “A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility” and the Killing Orders …Talat Pasha’s Telegrams and the Armenian Genocide”, have been translated, published in Arabic and now are available to a broad audience.

Translator Kivork Khatoun Wanes, who is from Syria, has Armenian origins, but currently lives in Belgium, told Armenpress that the most important motive behind the translation of these books was the enrichment of the Arab Library on this subject which is rarely known to the Arab readers in addition to the courage, credibility, objectivity and impartiality of the writer.

“A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility” was published in August 2017, and the second one in September 2019 in Lebanon by Dar Alfarabi international alliance of independent publishers. These two books are available online via the following websites: www.neelwafurat.com, www.Jamalon.com.

“At the beginning of 1915, under the cover of the World War I, a whole nation was deliberately killed. More than one million Armenians lost their lives as a result of massacres, forced deportation and starvation. Although many countries and historians accept the deliberate plan to kill the Armenian people, the Turkish authorities still deny that this shameful act has taken place.

In this amazing work Turkish historian Taner Akcam deeply and thoroughly examines this deliberate action carried out by the Ottoman government relying mainly on the Ottoman sources, such as military notes, court hearings, parliamentary protocols and reports. In this work Taner Akcam explores the plan of extermination and its implementation by the state agencies, the army and the ruling party”, the translator said in the summary of the book “A Shameful Act”.

In the summary of the book “Killing Orders”, Kivork Khatoun Wanes says: “In this work Akcam, who was called the “Sherlock Holmes of Armenian Genocide” in New York, presents the telegrams existing in the memoirs of Naim Efendi up to the smallest details and compares them with the thousands of documents received from the Ottoman archives (coding methods, signatures of Aleppo governor, telegram dates, mentioned people and events)”.

The Killing Orders is also available in French.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




The California Courier Online, February 13, 2020

Garnik Tadevosian

1 -        The World Dislikes Trump & his Policies,
            According to Pew Research Center
            By Harut Sassounian
            Publisher, The California Courier
            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2-         Armenia to hold referendum on Constitutional Court in April
3 -        At Sold Out Gala, AEF Celebrates 70 Years of Service and
Accomplishments
4-         Presidential Candidate Tom Steyer Appoints Senior
Armenian-American Staff
5-       Glendale approves unique building for Armenian-American health center
6-         Wilk Announces Scholarship Contests to
            Raise Awareness of the Armenian Genocide

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******************************************

1 -        The World Dislikes Trump & his Policies,
            According to Pew Research Center
            By Harut Sassounian
            Publisher, The California Courier
            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

A study published by the Pew Research Center revealed that many in the
world do not approve Pres. Donald Trump’s foreign policies. This is
not a surprising discovery, but is in total contrast to what the
President has been claiming regarding his exaggerated accomplishments.
Even before his election, candidate Trump repeatedly stated that Pres.
Barack Obama was not respected by the rest of the world and that he,
as President, will restore respect to the United States by foreign
countries.
Given Pres. Trump’s many exaggerations and outright lies, no one
should be surprised by the untruth of what he claimed. The fact is
that his predecessor, Pres. Barack Obama, was highly respected around
the world, and to the contrary, Pres. Trump has become the laughing
stock of most people, in and out of the United States, except by the
autocratic leaders of Turkey, North Korea, Russia, China and Saudi
Arabia.

Let us look at the actual numbers based on the Pew Research Center. In
the 33 countries surveyed, the median of only 18% of the people stated
they viewed Trump’s foreign policy as positive. Not surprisingly,
Trump’s highest foreign policy rating was among Israelis (55%), while
32% disapproved and 13% said, “no difference.”

The following countries, in descending order, expressed their degree
of Pres. Trump’s approval of foreign policy: Poland (34%), Hungary
(31%), Ukraine (29%), Nigeria (29%), India (27%), Kenya (25%), South
Africa (25%), Slovakia (24%), Australia (24%), Lithuania (22%), Czech
Republic (22%), Philippines (21%), Indonesia (19%), Greece (19%),
Bulgaria (18%), Lebanon (18%), UK (18%), Italy (17%), Japan (17%),
South Korea (16%), Canada (16%), Russia (14%), Netherlands (11%),
Sweden (11%), Argentina (10%), Tunisia (9%), Mexico (9%), Turkey (9%),
France (9%), Brazil (8%), Spain (7%), and Germany (6%). In the United
States, Trump’s approval rating on foreign policy was 37%. It is
concerning that some of the lowest ratings were among the NATO allies,
while the ratings in the neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico
were also very low.

When asked about individual policy issues, the median of the people in
the 33 countries surveyed showed the following ratings:

— U.S. increasing tariffs or fees on imported goods from other
countries: 18% approve; 68% disapprove.

— U.S. withdrawal from international climate change agreements: 14%
approve; 66% disapprove.

— Building a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico: 24%
approve; 60% disapprove.

— Allowing fewer immigrants into the U.S.: 34% approve; 55% disapprove.

— U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear weapons agreement: 29%
approve; 52% disapprove.

— U.S. negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un about the
country’s nuclear weapons program: 41% approve; 36% disapprove.

Regarding the respect the current and the two previous U.S. Presidents
— Trump (2017-2019), George W. Bush (2001-2008) and Barack Obama
(2009-2016) — enjoyed around the world, the Pew Research Center
discovered that Obama was ranked much higher than both Bush and Trump
among the people in the 33 countries surveyed. Here are the rankings
of the three Presidents with the lows and highs during the various
years of their presidency:

Canada: Bush (28%-59%); Obama (76%-88%); Trump (22%-28%).

France: Bush (12%-25%); Obama (83%-91%); Trump (9%-20%).

Germany: Bush (14%-51%); Obama (71%-93%); Trump (10%-13%).

Greece: Bush (not available); Obama (27%-41%); Trump (17%-25%).

Italy: Bush (30%-43%); Obama (68%-77%); Trump (25%-32%).

Netherlands: Bush (39%); Obama (92%); Trump (17%-25%).

Spain: Bush (7%-26%); Obama (54%-75%); Trump (7%-21%).

Sweden: Bush (21%); Obama (93%); Trump (10%-18%).

UK: Bush (16%-51%); Obama (72%-86%); Trump (22%-32%).

Bulgaria: Bush (27%); Obama (not available); Trump (26%).

Czech Republic: Bush (36%); Obama (75%-77%); Trump (28%).

Hungary: Bush (not available); Obama (58%); Trump (29%-33%).

Poland: Bush (29-47%); Obama (49%-64%); Trump (23%-51%).

Slovakia: Bush (21%); Obama (not available); Trump (34%).

Russia: Bush (8%-28%); Obama (11%-41%); Trump (20%-53%).

Ukraine: Bush (19%); Obama (11%-41%); Trump (44%).

Australia: Bush (23%-59%); Obama (77%-84%); Trump (29%-35%).

India: Bush (not available); Obama (48%-74%); Trump (40%-56%).

Indonesia: Bush (14%-23%); Obama (53%-71%); Trump (23%-30%).

Japan: Bush (25%-35%); Obama (60%-85%); Trump (24%-36%).

Philippines: Bush (not available); Obama (84%-94%); Trump (69%-78%).

South Korea: Bush (22%-36%); Obama (75%-88%); Trump (17%-46%).

Israel: Bush (57%-83%); Obama (49%-71%); Trump (56%-71%).

Lebanon: Bush (17%-34%); Obama (35%-46%); Trump (15%-23%).

Tunisia: Bush (not available); Obama (24%-28%); Trump (12%-18%).

Turkey: Bush (2%-8%); Obama (12%-45%); Trump (11%).

Kenya: Bush (72%); Obama (78%-95%); Trump (51%-65%).

Nigeria: Bush (not available); Obama (53%-84%); Trump (58%-59%).

South Africa: Bush (32%); Obama (72%-77%); Trump (39%-42%).

Argentina: Bush (5%-7%); Obama (31%-61%); Trump (11%-22%).

Brazil: Bush (not available); Obama (52%-69%); Trump (14%-28%).

Mexico: Bush (16%-28%); Obama (38%-55%); Trump (5%-8%).

Finally, in comparison with other major world leaders, Pres. Trump
ranked at the bottom third of the Pew Research Center survey in 33
countries, losing to French President Emmanuel Macron, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, and even Russian President Vladimir Putin,
but outscoring Chinese President Xi Jinping by a single point.

The next time Pres. Trump boasts about how he is respected around the
world vs. Pres. Obama, you can smile and tell yourself: one more lie.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

2-         Armenia to hold referendum on Constitutional Court in April

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Armenia’s parliament decided on Thursday,
February 6 to hold a referendum on April 5 on constitutional changes
that would dismiss seven of the nine members of the Constitutional
Court locked in a bitter dispute with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s
government. The bill was signed by President Armen Sarkissian on
February 9.

The move has been seen by political analysts as Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan’s attempt to remove judges who have opposed him.

They would be replaced by other judges to be confirmed by the current
132-member National Assembly in which Pashinyan’s My Step bloc holds
88 seats.

The decision was unanimously backed by virtually all My Step deputies.
Lawmakers representing the opposition Bright Armenia Party voted
against it while their colleagues from the other parliamentary
opposition party, Prosperous Armenia, did not vote at all.

My Step’s Vahagn Hovakimyan, who presented the draft amendments during
the parliament debate, said that the Constitutional Court is Armenia’s
least trusted state institution.

Addressing the National Assembly shortly before the vote, Pashinyan
also strongly defended the amendments rejected as unconstitutional by
opposition deputies. He again accused Constitutional Court Chairman
Hrayr Tovmasyan and six other judges installed by former Armenian
governments from 1995-2018 of being linked to the “corrupt former
regime.”

“The Constitutional Court represents the corrupt regime of [former
President] Serzh Sargsyan, rather than the people, and it must go,” he
declared.

Pashinyan also claimed that Armenia’s highest court “limits the
people’s power” and poses a “terrible and direct threat to democracy.”
Its legal powers must therefore be superseded by “sovereign rights of
the people,” he said.

Pashinyan went on to warn his political opponents against attempting
to thwart the constitutional changes through legal or other
mechanisms, saying that they would be declared “anti-state” elements
in that case.

The warning prompted an angry response from Bright Armenia Party
leader Edmon Marukyan, who accused Pashinyan of “blackmail.”

“Is it you who decides who are anti-state forces and who are patriots?
Is this the ‘democracy’ you dream about?” Marukyan asked him on the
parliament floor.

Marukyan reaffirmed his party’s view that the draft amendments run
counter to other articles of the Armenian constitution. He also noted
that the current Constitutional Court consists of judges appointed
under different governments. This is an important safeguard for the
court’s independence, he said.

Another senior Bright Armenia Party figure, Taron Sahakyan, insisted
that under Armenian law the amendments cannot be put on a referendum
without being examined and endorsed by the Constitutional Court.

Parliament majority leaders gave no indications that they will submit
the amendments to the court for approval before setting a referendum
date. They cited articles of the constitution which make no reference
to such a validation.

The Constitutional Court judges and Tovmasyan in particular have for
months been under growing government pressure to resign. The
parliament also passed in December a government bill offering them
financial incentives to retire before the end of their mandate. None
of them has accepted the early retirement offer so far.

Later in December, prosecutors brought criminal charges against
Tovmasyan. The Constitutional Court chairman rejected the accusations
as politically motivated and again ruled out his resignation. He has
said that the authorities want to get rid of him in order to gain
control over the court.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

3 -        At Sold Out Gala, AEF Celebrates 70 Years of Service and
Accomplishments

LOS ANGELES—More than 500 community leaders, supporters, and generous
donors attended the Armenian Educational Foundation’s 70th Anniversary
Gala.

The momentous event was held on January 26.at the iconic Beverly Hills
Hotel. The gala opened at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour, followed by
dinner at 6:30 p.m.

The evening kicked off with a performance of the American and Armenian
national anthems sung by Talia Avedissian and Araz Arabian, students
from Mesrobian School and Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School,
respectively. Both schools were co-founded by the AEF as pillars of
education for Armenian students in America.

Opening remarks were made by AEF President Peter Baghdassarian, who
welcomed guests and thanked committee members for making the sold-out
event a big success. Baghdassarian then introduced Armine Haroyan,
AEF’s administrator in Yerevan, who herself was an AEF scholarship
recipient. Haroyan shared with the audience the impact of AEF’s
generosity on her life and the lives of hundreds of other scholarship
recipients in Armenia.

AEF Vice President Dr. Aida Rechdouni then introduced Vahik
Petrossian, the recipient of AEF’s Lifetime Service Award for his
decades of service to the organization. This recognition prompted an
anonymous donation of $50,000 in honor of Petrossian.

Following remarks made by Dr. Rechdouni, Committee Chair Al Cabraloff
introduced AEF’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Sam and Sylva
Simonian. The Simonians were honored for their pioneering work in
bringing technical education to Armenia by funding and establishing
TUMO Center for Creative Technologies.

Mr. and Mrs. Simonian were also honored by Catholicos Aram I of the
Great House of Cilicia, as the couple was awarded the prestigious
Mesrob Mashdots Medal, which was presented to them by Western Prelate
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian.

The AEF Gala Banquet is held to help raise funds for AEF’s charitable
programs, including computer engineering labs in village schools,
university scholarship awards, school renovation projects, and other
education related programs.

For more information about AEF, please call the AEF office at
818.242.4154, or visit AEF’s website, www.aefweb.org

************************************************************************************************************************************************

4-         Presidential Candidate Tom Steyer Appoints Senior
Armenian-American Staff

LOS ANGELES—The Steyer presidential campaign has announced its
Armenian-American senior and regional staff in California, continuing
its commitment to building a talented team that is representative of
our state’s diverse communities.

“We are excited to have Rostom Sarkissian and Astine Suleimanyan on
TeamTom,” said Katie Vavao, the campaign’s California state director,
who recruited both staffers. “Their years of experience on local and
national campaigns, their leadership in the communities they have
worked in, and their dedication to Armenian-American community make
them welcome additions to our team.”

Rostom Sarkissian is responsible for coordinating the political and
field efforts across the State. Rostom is a Los Angeles-based public
affairs professional with 20 years of experience in political, issue,
and advocacy campaigns in California and across the United States.
Sarkissian worked on behalf of the Democratic presidential nominee in
2004, 2008, and 2012 in Oregon, Colorado, and Florida.

Sarkissian holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard
University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s Degree in
Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College.

“I’m proud to work for a candidate who believes in social, economic,
and environmental justice. Tom’s father was a part of the team that
prosecuted the Nazis at Nuremberg, and his dad taught him ‘when you
see something wrong, you fight it.’ That’s the type of leader we need
in Washington,” said Sarkissian.

Astine Suleimanyan will serve as the campaign’s deputy political
director for the Inland Empire and labor liaison across the state. She
has a decade of professional experience managing the diverse and
complicated elements of electoral, legislative, and constituent
campaigns for mission driven-organizations such as the American Civil
Liberties Union, Service Employees International Union, California
School Employees Association, and SEIU-United Long Term Care Workers.

“It is exciting to be part of this campaign. Tom Steyer has been an
early and vocal advocate for addressing climate change and building a
more just economy,” said Suleimanyan. “His justice-based approach to
addressing race, the economy, and the environment speaks to my core as
an activist, and his actual success as businessman will provide the
best contrast to Trump’s failing administration.”

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5-         Glendale approves unique building for Armenian-American health center

By Shane Reiner-Roth

On January 21, the City Council of Glendale, California, unanimously
approved the construction of a daringly-designed office building from
the Los Angeles-based architecture firm P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S and Santa
Monica-based Sharif, Lynch: Architecture. When complete, the Janoian
Building will be the new home of All For Health, Health For All, a
local community health center began in 1999 by Dr. Noobar Janoian, and
will include rentable office space, ground-floor retail, and a small
amenity space in the terrace. As approved, Glendale residents can
expect to see a 5-story, 70-foot-tall complex rise on the site.

The five-story building’s shifting character on the corner of Broadway
and Isabel Street is designed to visually connect the urban promenade
of the stylistically-diverse Glendale Civic Center. “Responding to the
brief of providing a commercial office building in a very formal
context,” the architects explained, “the project aims to construct an
authentic dichotomic image: one that can be confused for a strange
civic building, too mute to be publicly engaged, but yet too
eccentrically unusual to be privately used.”

The building’s irregularly-striated brise-soleil system and exterior
voids along Isabel Street contrast the smooth, unbroken glass facade
to break up the structure’s otherwise imposing presence. A series of
exterior soffits and cantilevers unify the building’s envelope while
adding continuous open balconies accessible via the medical office
spaces. The health center will be set back along Isabel Street to make
room for a small pocket park, for which Armenian artist Zadik Zadikian
was commissioned to create a public mural as a backdrop that reflects
the community’s diverse citizenship. Construction on the Janoian
Building will begin this summer and is expected to be completed by
late next year.

This article appeared in The Architect’s Newspaper on February 5, 2020.

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6-         Wilk Announces Scholarship Contests to

            Raise Awareness of the Armenian Genocide

The California Armenian Legislative Caucus is holding two scholarship
contests for the 2020 commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, Senator
Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita), who represents the state’s 21st Senate
District, announced on February 3.

California high school students in 9th through 12th grades are invited
to participate in an essay contest and/or a visual arts contest to
increase greater awareness of the Armenian Genocide. Students may
enter both contests, but submissions must be entered separately.

In addition to the scholarships, the winners will also receive a trip
to Sacramento for a press conference where they will be acknowledged
by the California Armenian Legislative Caucus during the Caucus’
annual Armenian Advocacy Day on April 27, 2020.

Original artwork will be requested from visual arts finalists, for
display in the California State Capitol.

Criteria for each content can be found at wilk.cssrc.us.

Submission deadline for both contests is Monday, April 6, 2020. The
California Armenian Legislative Caucus will contact winners directly
and announce their names to media on Friday, April 16, 2020.

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PACE monitors advise Armenia to request a Venice Commission opinion on constitutional and related changes

Garnik Tadevosian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 6 2020

PACE monitors have called on Armenian authorities to request a Venice Commission opinion on constitutional and related changes.

The Armenian Parliament decided to hold an extraordinary session on 6 February in order to discuss a series of amendments that would remove the requirement for the Constitutional Court to check the compliance of draft legislation with the Constitution of Armenia.

Among other things, this would change the procedure of revision of the Constitution itself. In addition, a constitutional amendment that seems to aim at ending the terms of several members of the current Constitutional Court with immediate effect has been tabled.

“These two topics are important, and the proposed changes could have long-term repercussions on the functioning of constitutional institutions. In this context, as well as taking into account some of the questions raised in that respect, we call on the Armenian authorities to request as soon as possible, the opinion of the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s expert body on constitutional law,” said the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the monitoring of Armenia, Andrej Šircelj (Slovenia, EPP/CD) and Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC).

“We believe that this opinion, which could be adopted very quickly via an urgent procedure, would be valuable to all stakeholders, including the Armenian electorate if a referendum were to be held,” he co-rapporteurs added.

Acting Police Chief: I want to serve Armenia, wherever it may be

Garnik Tadevosian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 30 2020

17:04, 30.01.2020
                  

YEREVAN. – I will perform my duties until the last moment; I will do it with high responsibility. Armenia’s Acting Police Chief Arman Sargsyan stated this in a conversation with journalists, after his meeting today with members of the majority My Step faction in parliament.

Asked if the Prime Minister had already offered to appoint him the Chief of Police, he replied: "If it is not yet decided whether I will stay or not, why should there be an offer? If it happens, it means I'm not going to stay."

And asked if he would like to be appointed Chief of Police, Sargsyan responded: "I want to serve Armenia, wherever it may be."